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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Author; Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Genre; Comic novel Publisher; Quirk Books, Philadelphia ISBN; 978-1-59474-334-4 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009) is a parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. It is a mashup combining Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice with elements of modern zombie fiction. Austen is credited as co-author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It was first published in April 2009 by Quirk Books and in October 2009 a Deluxe Edition was released.Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Deluxe Edition Available Soon Reviews From Entertainment Weekly: "I’ve always said the problem with Jane Austen’s novels is that there simply aren’t enough zombies. But—finally!—that situation has been resolved." -Clark Collis From Bookmarks Magazine: It’s difficult to tell if critics’ reactions to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should be characterized as praise or astonishment. Some reviewers treated the book as a delightful gimmick. Others found that, beneath the surface, the book actually constituted an interesting way of looking at Austen’s novel. Zombies answer certain puzzling questions: Why were those troops stationed near Hertfordshire? Why did Charlotte Lucas actually marry Mr. Collins? (She had recently been bitten by zombies and wanted a husband who could be counted on to behead her—of course!) But critics also pointed out that this parody shows that Austen’s novel has remained so powerful over time that even the undead can’t spoil it. Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC From Charlotte Observer: "There’s practically an English cottage industry in Pride mysteries, prequels and sequels, even soft porn for those who want a peek under the sheets. But the one need that hadn’t been filled was the chance to see Regency England in the grip of a plague of the undead, who rise from their graves and gruesomely attack the living. … Grahame-Smith’s retelling is imaginatively done—zombie fighting fits nicely as a replacement for piano practice." -Kathleen Purvis From Booklist: This may be the most wacky by-product of the busy Jane Austen fan-fiction industry—at least among the spin-offs and pastiches that have made it into print. In what’s described as an “expanded edition” of Pride and Prejudice, 85 percent of the original text has been preserved but fused with “ultraviolent zombie mayhem.” For more than 50 years, we learn, England has been overrun by zombies, prompting people like the Bennets to send their daughters away to China for training in the art of deadly combat, and prompting others, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, to employ armies of ninjas. Added to the familiar plot turns that bring Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy together is the fact that both are highly skilled killers, gleefully slaying zombies on the way to their happy ending. Is nothing sacred? Well, no, and mash-ups using literary classics that are freely available on the Web may become a whole new genre. What’s next? Wuthering Heights and Werewolves? --Mary Ellen Quinn From New York Post: "The trick might have worked with any number of titles—War and Peace and Zombies, The Sound and the Fury and Zombies—but there’s something particularly hilarious about introducing the undead into an English novel of manners. … Grahame-Smith remakes Elizabeth Bennet as Lizzie the zombie-slayer, possessed not only of impeccable etiquette and stinging wit, but also lethal martial arts skills." Sara Stewart From Onion AV Club: "Such is the accomplishment of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies that after reveling in its timeless intrigue, it’s difficult to remember how Austen’s novel got along without the undead. What begins as a gimmick ends with renewed appreciation of the indomitable appeal of Austen’s language, characters, and situations, and unbridled enjoyment in the faithfulness with which they have been transformed into the last, best hope of English civilization." Donna Bowman Background Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak developed the idea for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies after comparing a list of "popular fanboy characters like ninjas, pirates, zombies and monkeys" with a list of public domain book titles such as War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, and Wuthering Heights. He turned the project over to writer Seth Grahame-Smith: "Rekulak called me one day, out of the blue, very excitedly, and he said, all I have is this title, and I can't stop thinking about this title. And he said: ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. For whatever reason, it just struck me as the most brilliant thing I'd ever heard." Tieme:Pride and Prejudice, Now With Zombies!'' Grahame-Smith began with the original text of Austen's novel, adding zombie and ninja elements while developing an overall plot line for the new material; "you kill somebody off in Chapter 7, it has repercussions in Chapter 56". According to the author, the original text of the novel was well-suited for use as a zombie horror story: "You have this fiercely independent heroine, you have this dashing heroic gentleman, you have a militia camped out for seemingly no reason whatsoever nearby, and people are always walking here and there and taking carriage rides here and there . . . It was just ripe for gore and senseless violence. From my perspective anyway." In early 2009, awareness of the forthcoming novel rose due to attention from Internet bloggers, newspaper articles, National Public Radio, and even on TWiT's MacBreak Weekly Podcast.http://wiki.twit.tv/wiki/MacBreak_Weekly_144#Picks In response, the publisher increased the initial print run from 12,000 to 60,000 copies, and moved the publication date to April 1st. Plot summary The story follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice, but places the novel in an alternative universe version of Regency-era England where zombies roam the countryside. Described as the "stricken," "sorry stricken," "undead," "unmentionables," or just "zombies" (though the word "zombie" did not enter the English language until 1871)http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zombie, the deceased ancestors of England are generally viewed by the characters as a troublesome, albeit deadly, nuisance. Their presence alters the original plot of the story in both subtle and significant ways: Messages between houses are sometimes lost when the couriers are captured and eaten; characters openly discuss and judge the zombie-fighting abilities of others; women weigh the pros and cons of carrying a musket (it provides safety, but is considered "unladylike"). Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters live on a countryside estate with their parents. Mr. Bennet guides his daughters in martial arts and weapons training, molding them into a fearsome zombie-fighting army; meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet endeavours to marry the girls off to wealthy suitors. When the wealthy and single Mr. Bingley purchases a nearby house, Mrs. Bennet spies an opportunity and sends the girls to the first ball where Bingley is expected to appear. The girls defend the party from a zombie attack, and attraction sparks between Mr. Bingley and eldest daughter Jane Bennet. Elizabeth, however, clashes with the Bingley's friend, the haughty monster-hunter Fitzwilliam Darcy. The Bennets are shaken when Bingley and his companions suddenly abandon his country home and returns to the walled fortress city of London with little explanation. When the local militia arrives in town to exhume and destroy dead bodies, Elizabeth becomes friendly with one of the soldiers, George Wickham, who tells Elizabeth that Darcy cheated Wickham out of an inheritance. Elizabeth's dislike of Darcy turns into full-blown hatred when she learns that Darcy plotted to separate Bingley from her sister Jane. As demanded by her warrior's code of honor, she vows to avenge the slight to her family by killing Darcy. Later that evening, she is afforded that opportunity when he appears unannounced at the cottage where she is visiting her newlywed friend Charlotte (who has been secretly bitten by a zombie and is slowly turning into one herself). Before Elizabeth can fetch her katana and behead him, Darcy surprises her again by proposing marriage. The scene culminates in a vicious verbal and physical fight, in which Darcy is wounded. He eventually escapes with his life and writes a long letter to Elizabeth in which he explains his actions. He broke up Jane and Bingley out of fear that Jane had contracted the "mysterious plague" and was about to turn into a zombie. With regards to the allegedly wronged soldier Wickham, Darcy explains that Wickham had attempted to elope with Darcy's younger sister in an attempt to get his hands on her considerable fortune — this was the "inheritance" that Darcy had cheated the man out of. Elizabeth realizes that she has judged Darcy too harshly, and is humbled. Darcy, meanwhile, realizes that his arrogant nature encourages people to believe the rumors about him, and resolves to act more appropriately. Elizabeth embarks on a trip around the country with her aunt and uncle, fighting zombies along the way. At Pemberley she runs into Darcy, who helps her to defeat a rampaging horde of zombies. Darcy's new attitude and mannerisms impress Elizabeth and lead her to consider reconciling their relationship; unfortunately, all hopes are dashed when it is discovered that her younger sister Lydia has eloped to London with Wickham. The Bennet family fears the worst, but eventually receive word that Wickham and Lydia have married, following an "accident" that has rendered Wickham an incontinent quadriplegic. After visiting the Bennets, the couple adjourns to Ireland. Elizabeth discovers that it was Darcy who engineered the union, thus saving the Bennet family from ruin. Darcy and Bingley return to the countryside, and Bingley resumes courting Jane. Elizabeth hopes to renew her relationship with Darcy, but his aunt, the Lady Catherine, interferes, insisting that her daughter Anne is a better match for her nephew. Lady Catherine challenges Elizabeth to a fight to the death, intent on eliminating the competition, but Elizabeth defeats Catherine and her cadre of ninjas. She spares Catherine's life. Darcy is touched by this gesture, and he returns to Elizabeth. The two cheerfully wipe out a field of zombies (their first battle as a couple) and begin a long and happy future together, insofar as the ever-present threat of zombie apocalypse permits it. Reception Entertainment Weekly reviewed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies favorably, giving it a grade of A−. Library Journal recommended the novel "...for all popular fiction collections." The AV Club gave the novel a grade of A, commenting that "(w)hat begins as a gimmick ends with renewed appreciation of the indomitable appeal of Austen’s language, characters, and situations..." As of 9 April, 2009, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was number three on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. On the same morning, the book moved on amazon.co.uk's bestseller list from the 300s to 27th place. Before the book was published in the United Kingdom, the book required a second printing. Adaptations ''The Sunday Times (London) reported on February 8, 2009 that "Hollywood studios are bidding to turn a radical reworking of Austen’s most popular book, now called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a parody to be published in April, into a blockbuster movie." At a book-signing Q & A held at California State University Fullerton on April 23, 2009, Grahame-Smith reported that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had now officially been purchased by an undisclosed major film company to be produced as a feature film. In 2010, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel will be published, with Tony Lee adapting the text and art by Cliff Richards. See also *''Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters'' References Category:2009 novels Category:Alternate history novels Category:American novels Category:Comedy novels Category:Parody novels Category:Zombie novels Category:Adaptations of works by Jane Austen Category:2009 novels Category:Alternate history novels Category:American novels Category:Comedy novels Category:Parody novels Category:Zombie novels Category:Adaptations of works by Jane Austen